It was only a matter of time. Saturday, MTV Japan premiered what’s believed to be the country’s first-ever reality TV show, or at least the first to mirror the craftily groomed shows that have made MTV in the U.S. home to much more than music videos.

Step forward “Shibuhara Girls,” a show following four career-climbing young women as they aspire to reach the summit of Japan’s entertainment industry, or perhaps more simply, fame. The name “Shibuhara,” an MTV Japan concoction, combines the names of Tokyo’s conjoined fashion neighborhoods Shibuya and Harajuku.

If Shibuhara doesn’t sound familiar, this might: In the 12-part series, the attractive 20 somethings attempt to overcome the trials of life, love and, of course, shopping, territory well-trod in MTV hits like “The Hills” and spin-off show “The City.”

It comes replete with a poppy tune, sung by one of the cast members, streaming over previews and dreamy cinematography. The girls also have a penchant for shortening Japanese words, just as the original heroines of “Laguna Beach” and later “The Hills,” habitual use of “donezo” introduced the term into the American lexicon.

But where the Japanese version differs notably is in a format that should keep emotional warfare between the quartet to a minimum. MTV Japan said it used the U.S. shows as reference points but that it is an original show for Japan. For starters, the women are already semi-famous–two are models and the other pair aspiring singers—rather than being presented as regular citizens, making their wont of fame slightly more honest and digestible. For instance, Sun Wei, a 21-year-old model who was born in China and raised in Japan, perhaps has the biggest public profile due to her online following. She maintains a personal blog, happily named “Twinkle Days,” and has amassed over 8,200 Twitter followers.

Secondly, the women aren’t presented as being friends beyond the series. MTV Japan said the show will focus on each girl’s life separately rather than melt them into intersecting plotlines. The women were selected last year through their respective talent agencies.

Still, first reality show or not, MTV Japan’s approach to scheduling the show appears to cautiously skirt prime time. While the opening 30-minute episode will be re-broadcast three more times over the coming week, the 1:00 a.m. slot for the series premiere on a Saturday night/Sunday morning was scarcely ideal for attracting hordes of viewers.

While MTV Japan is available to about 7.6 million viewers here (and the show will also be available in South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia), according to the company, it declined to disclose how many viewers tuned into the reality show. But Ms. Wei herself admitted she didn’t watch the premiere since her television at home does not have access to MTV, according to a Jan. 9 entry on her blog. Perhaps reflecting the cautious broadcast slot, it seems the initial reaction on the Interwebs was muted. “Hmm I was hoping it to be the Japanese version of ‘The Hills,’ chirped a Twitter user named “rienanana.” “I’m really not sure about this one.”

Still, given MTV’s track record on breaking reality TV shows, doubters might be advised to give “Shibuhara Girls” a little time before coming off the fence with a thumbs-down. Despite thick slabs of criticism early on, “The Hills” went on to provide delight or despair for American viewers for a full six seasons.